Take the number you are, divide it by 10 (prolly 12), and I suspect it's pretty close.

I mean really... Other than drinking being one possible strategy for dealing with KC teams, it doesn't mean it's the only strategy.

Not opposed, but it's pretty telling that at least Moose does things in the field (on occasion). Billy's earned this by having ONE ****ING JOB ON THIS TEAM, and being pretty dam bad at doing that ONE ****ING JOB.

And sitting him for a week or two makes TOTAL sense..

I agree.

The truly frustrating thing is that Butler is close, so close to being the next Ortiz level DH, but just can't seem to push over that hump holding him back. If he would just hit the gym hard, drop 20 lbs, and focus on getting the ball up and being a gap hitter more consistently while becoming a much improved situational hitter, nobody would have an issue with him.

In other words, do his job.

Ha, basically.

All of those things are things a Pro would do, so I'm not sure he's as much a Pro as he is a kid.

I'm just at a loss for what could be taught to him at this point that ANY batting coach hasn't tried/suggested. He's evidently just dumb or something. Lard knows almost any pitcher can jack with him and get him to ground-out.

But he'll get a hit in the coming days, and the Royals will swallowing his baby badder again..

You have to keep in mind that Butler is the same guy that Jose Guillen accused of being a "baby in the locker room" when Billy was throwing temper tantrums about not playing 1st base enough. That was the year he was sent down, I believe.

Point being, the kid has an ego.

They could play Butler at 1st more if they wanted more lineup flexibility. There were stories in spring training they were going to give him some more time there during the regular season.

http://www.kansascity.com/2014/04/13...ly-butler.html

ROYALS NOTEBOOK
Royals sticking with Billy Butler despite early-season hitting slump


MINNEAPOLIS — A few days ago, as Billy Butler ventured deeper into an early-season funk, Royals hitting coach Pedro Grifol approached him with a suggestion. Grifol instructed Butler to back up off the plate so he can better combat inside pitching and cease producing a slew of ground balls.

Butler can be stubborn in defending his mechanics, but he was open to the suggestion by Grifol.

“I have to be able to hit the inside pitch, too,” Butler said. “And whenever I stand too close to the plate, I can’t. It locks me up.”

Butler blames himself for inching too close to the plate during spring training. He considered it an unconscious consequence of his desire to hit balls to the opposite field. Grifol was merely moving him back to his natural position at the plate.

Butler has only six hits in 39 at-bats this season. He has yet to produce an extra-base hit. Heading into Sunday’s game, he was hitting the ball on the ground 70 percent of the time when he put the ball in play. He grounded out in his first two at-bats on Sunday, then struck out in his latter two.

The Royals still believe Butler will flourish as a hitter this season. But manager Ned Yost did not sugarcoat his struggles thus far. When asked whether he saw positive signs with Butler, Yost laughed. “Not really,” he said.

Still, Yost does not intend to shuffle his lineup. Butler will remain his No. 4 hitter, sandwiched between Eric Hosmer and Alex Gordon, with catcher Salvador Perez still batting sixth.

“Of course I’ve considered it,” Yost said. “But it’s too early to do it. Way too early.”

Yost then added, “It’s more of a groupwide thing. Than it is one guy that you move down in the lineup, or two guys. It doesn’t much of an effect, in my opinion, when you do that type of stuff. It’s just a matter of time before these guys get going.”

In time, Butler and team officials believe, his hits will come. Butler insisted his mental approach was fine. But his mechanical approach needed some maintenance.

“It’s all timing,” Butler said. “And if I’m hitting the ball on the ground like I am now, my timing is not where it needs to be yet.”

Not to mention one hall of an appetite... And a bad barber...

There should be absolutely no player "stubborn at defending his (swing) mechanics" on this team right now, minus maybe Aoki and Infante. None.

WE WANT SEITZER

This might be one more thing they could try in order to change their attitudes...

http://www.imcdb.org/i045614.jpg

If Billy Butler bats under .280 for the year, and gets at least 570 at bats, I'll give someone all my casino cash. The hate is so strong for Billy. The dude is like 4th in hits in the last 4 years of baseball. You don't do that by not being any good. And trading Billy is asinine because Billy is more valuable to the Royals then about any other team in baseball. If you get rid of Billy, what are you going to do? Put Maxwell there everyday? If he has to face both right and left handed pitchers everyday hes going to bat like .235. You can't put Perez there because you have no real effective back up catcher. So basically your only option is Danny Valencia, who also is a guy that has to be platooned to be effective at all.